


Pretend

by Red7s



Category: Echo (Visual Novel 2019)
Genre: Angst, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Obsessive Behavior, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:20:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27987600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red7s/pseuds/Red7s
Summary: Sometimes it's too much to deal with. Sometimes he can't handle what really happened. So Leo does the only thing he can think of to do. He pretends.
Relationships: Leo Alvarez/Chase Hunter
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11





	Pretend

As usual, when Leo wakes up Chase is still asleep, the otter’s head resting on the wolf’s arm, and as usual, the sight makes the wolf’s heart pound, and he wishes as he always does that things will stay like this forever.  


He wakes Chase up and they shower, Chase letting out the cutest little laughs as Leo alternates between tickling and groping him, playfully chastising the wolf that they’ll be late for work if they stop to mess around.  


Leo makes breakfast while Chase gets dressed, and after they eat Chase does the dishes so that Leo has time to get dressed as well. Despite his claims of not wanting to be late, Chase takes one look at the tight shirt the wolf is wearing and they end up spending ten minutes making out on the sofa, the otter’s hands roaming appreciatively over Leo’s muscular body.  


Thankfully they manage to get to work on time, and Leo picks up where they left off, pointing out to Chase what’s wrong with each customer’s vehicle and what he’ll do to fix it. Today’s a busy day, and some of the customers give them odd looks as they pay and leave, which makes Chase uncomfortable until Leo pulls him into a bearhug and kisses him.  


On the way home that evening, Leo puts in another old CD, and he laughs as Chase briefly makes fun of the songs...before eventually settling down and quietly singing along.  


Chase asks Leo to give him Spanish lessons when they get home, and when the wolf asks why, Chase is reluctant to answer, almost definitely blushing beneath his beautiful brown fur. After a bit of playful pestering, he answers that he’d like to be able to say his vows in Leo’s language.  


It’s an unexpected surprise...but then the wolf feels his own face flush beneath his fur, and before he knows it he has Chase pinned to the wall, his hands holding Chase’s tightly and their lips pressed together in feverish kisses. He nearly rips off the otter’s clothes.  


Even though it’s a little late by now, Leo cooks their favorite dinner while Chase watches closely, wanting to learn to do it himself soon.  


After they eat they go to bed, both of them only in their underwear as Leo spoons the otter, an arm wrapped around Chase’s middle while his other one serves, like always, as a pillow for his boyfriend.  


“I love you,” Chase tells him, and he immediately returns the sentiment, gently tickling the otter’s stomach for a few minutes with a smirk before he finally can’t keep his eyes open anymore and drifts into a peaceful sleep.

His phone vibrating on his desk wakes him up. With a quiet grumble, Leo carefully reaches over Chase and takes a look at his phone.  


**(4) Message from: Chase**   


Leo stares at the screen, for a really long time. And then he slowly moves the pillow he has pulled to his torso back to its usual spot. He shifts so he’s half-sitting up, using his other pillow for support as he opens his phone.  


**I miss you.**  
**God, Leo, I miss you so much.**  
**I want to be with you again. I don’t care if I have to move back, I fucking miss you so much.**  
**I miss hanging out with you and kissing you and how fucking good it feels when you’re holding me.**  
**I miss how good you feel inside me.**  


Leo’s breathing heavily now, his heart pounding as he begins to text back with one hand, the other already sliding down past his navel...

Chase wakes up in his dorm and rubs his eyes. His roommate is already clicking at his laptop, no doubt working on another assignment. Chase sighs and groggily looks around, freezing as he sees his phone lying on the bed next to him. A pit forms in his stomach and he swallows hard, slowly picking it up and unlocking it. His screen lights up, revealing a text conversation with Leo. His face flushes with shame as he looks at all of them, and the pit in his stomach twists as he reads the final two messages between them.  


**I love you Leo.**  
**I love you too chula.**  


Chase stares.  


Reads the last two messages almost ten more times.  


He clicks the three vertical dots in the top right corner of the screen.  


His thumb hovers over the _‘Delete’_ button.  


He presses it.

For once, Leo’s alone when he wakes up. His chest has a deep, hollow ache in it, and he quickly recognizes it as longing. His phone is lying on the bed next to him. He picks it up and unlocks it. He reads the texts on the screen.  


He reads them again.  


And again.  


And the final two lines too many times for him to bother counting.  


Then he holds the phone close to his chest, and he cries.  


Eventually, he realizes a shadow has passed over him.  


Someone’s standing outside his window.  


Leo quickly leaps out of bed and reaches for his gun, turning to look at whoever’s watching him.  


It’s Chase.  


Leo freezes, his eyes widening, and he stares into the otter’s brown eyes for a long, long time. Finally, Chase smiles and says something. Leo doesn’t hear it, but it’s so short a word that Leo can tell what it is anyway.  


_**“Hey…”** _

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this visual novel for like a week and have played all the routes I'm fucking hooked lmao I could write ESSAYS on how much I love the story elements.


End file.
